Humor and healing

DEFINITION: Therapy that uses humor to relieve physical and emotional problems.

PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: Circulatory system, immune system, oxygen intake, pain relief, relaxation, well-being

OTHER PROPOSED USES: Blood pressure, digestion, improvement of mental functions

Overview

The potential healing properties of humor have been recognized since ancient times. The Old Testament notes, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Throughout the centuries, court jesters were hired by monarchs to relieve the stress of governmental duties. As early as the thirteenth century, surgeons used humor to distract patients from pain.

In modern times, a systematic approach appears to be developing, consisting of exposure to true mirthful laughter in a supportive environment, under the guidance of a qualified leader or therapist, and combined with attitudinal healing and conventional medicine.

Mechanism of Action

Laughter is thought to trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. It relaxes muscles, which may then also reduce four neuroendocrine hormones associated with the stress response: epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.

Laughter moves lymph fluid around the body because of the convulsions that come from the process of laughing. This process helps clear waste products from organs and tissues and boosts the immune system. Laughter is also thought to boost the immune system by increasing both salivary immunoglobulin (IgA) and blood levels of IgA, along with IgM and IgG, a substance called complement 3, which helps antibodies destroy infected cells. Laughter boosts the immune system also by helping the body increase the number and activity of natural killer cells, the number and level of activation of helper T cells, and the ratio of helper to suppressor T cells. It is also thought to increase levels of gamma interferon, a complex substance that plays an important role in the maturation of B cells, the growth of cytotoxic T cells, and the activation of natural killer cells.

Finally, laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand to increase blood flow.

Uses and Applications

Researchers have described different types of humor. Passive humor is created through entertainment, such as watching a film or reading a book. Humor production involves finding humor in stressful situations.

Hospitals and ambulatory care centers have incorporated spaces where humorous materials can be accessed, and some often have clowns and comedians perform or interact with patients to help make them laugh. Other hospitals create what are called laughter clubs or use volunteer groups to visit hospitalized persons to provide laughter. Another type of laughter therapy is laughter yoga.

Scientific Evidence

Few double-blind studies have been conducted on laughter therapy, but many observational studies exist. Among the most well-known records of the benefits of laughter and humor healing is the book Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient by Norman Cousins. In 1964, Cousins was diagnosed with a debilitating inflammatory condition. He experimented with laughter (among other complementary therapies) by systematically watching the television show Candid Camera, by watching Marx Brothers films, and by reading humorous books. He wrote “I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.”

Much research has suggested specific positive health effects associated with humor. The first study to find that laughter helps heart health was performed by researchers at the University of Maryland and published in 2000. In this study, persons with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared with people of the same age without heart disease. In the study, researchers compared the humor responses of three hundred people, one-half of whom either had suffered a heart attack or had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The other one-half were healthy, age-matched participants who did not have heart disease.

In one study at the University of Maryland (2005), some patients were shown disturbing films and others were shown humorous films. The funny films enhanced blood vessel health. Various studies have shown other potential benefits, such as to cognitive health, pain reduction, and other areas. A 2015 study found laughter therapy improved immune response in postpartum women, while a 2018 study also found evidence of positive impacts on the immune systems of obese women. However, scientists often note that more data is needed before firm conclusions can be made.

In a five-year study of persons with leg ulcers, researchers at the University of Leeds’ School of Healthcare showed that laughing gets the diaphragm moving, playing a vital part in moving blood around the body. In a separate study by Loma Linda University in Southern California, researchers studied men and women taking medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and proved that those prescribed mirthful laughter in the form of thirty minutes of comedy every day showed considerable reduction in stress hormone levels.

A meta-analysis found in Geriatric Nursing in 2025 reported that humor therapy greatly improved the mental wellbeing of older adults. Researchers found that laughter helped older adults feel less lonely and improve their quality of life, as well as lessen symptoms of depression. A similar meta-analysis in the Journal of Happiness Studies that year found that laughter therapy reduced anxiety among adults and was an effective method for those looking to control their anxiety.

Choosing a Practitioner

Usually a person does not choose a single practitioner but is placed in a group when already being treated at an institution. It also is plausible that a person could self-treat.

Safety Issues

Laughter therapy is cost-effective and noninvasive. While it is considered completely safe, patients should still inform their doctors of any plan to try complementary and alternative therapies. In addition, such therapies should not be seen as taking the place of conventional medical treatment; forgoing or delaying other recommended treatment can be dangerous.

Bibliography

Adkins, Lynne. "Local Cancer Center Using Humor Therapy As Part Of Treatment." CBS News, 31 May 2015, www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/local-cancer-center-using-humor-therapy-as-part-of-treatment/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, www.aath.org/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Bennett, Paul N., et al. “Laughter and Humor Therapy in Dialysis.” Seminars in Dialysis, vol. 27, no. 5, 2014, pp. 488–93, DOI:10.1111/sdi.12194. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Cousins, Norman. Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit. Penguin Books, 1989. 

Han, Byong-Hyon. Therapy of Social Medicine. Springer, 2016. 

Heggie, Betty-Ann. "The Healing Power of Laughter." Journal of Hospital Medicine, vol. 14, no. 5, May 2019, p. 320, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6609137/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Porras-Jiménez, Yelsyn-Mauricio, et al. "The Role of Laughter Therapy in Adults: Life Satisfaction and Anxiety Control. A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis." Journal of Happiness Studies, vol. 26, no. 99, 2025, DOI:10.1007/s10902-025-00934-z. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Scott, Elizabeth. "The Health Benefits of Laughter." Verywell Mind, 9 Jan. 2026, www.verywellmind.com/the-stress-management-and-health-benefits-of-laughter-3145084. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Stewart, Susan M. “Laughter: Nature’s Healing Refrain.” Healing with Art and Soul: Engaging One’s Self Through Art Modalities. Ed. Kathy Luethje. Cambridge Scholars, 2009.

"Stress Relief From Laughter? It's No Joke." Mayo Clinic, 22 Sept. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

"Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter and Humor." Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, 9 Feb. 2020, aanmc.org/featured-articles/therapeutic-benefits-laughter-and-humor/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Wallach, Rachel. "For Patients in Tough Situations, Sometimes the Best Thing is Humor." Johns Hopkins Magazine, 2016, hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2016/summer/humor-therapy-nursing-medicine/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Zhou, Zitong, et al. "Effects of Humor Therapy on Negative Emotions, Quality of Life and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Geriatric Nursing, vol. 61, 2025, pp. 20–6, DOI:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2024.10.054. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.